"Lilah' by Caryl McAdoo is a story that I really liked. I think it is the best in the "Prairie Roses Collection".

It is a love story but it is so much more. It is a story of forgivingness. I have to say that once again Caryl McAdoo has written a story that clearly shows that a person can change and that unforgiveness only hurts the one that is holding on to it.

Lilah certainly is a strong person and knows her own mind, but at the same time tries to do what is right for others that she cares about.

I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling novels—over fifty published—delight Christian readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her—listen to a few at YouTube. Sharing four children and eighteen grandsugars with Ron, her high-school-sweetheart-husband of over fifty years, she lives in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

Writing Lilah wasn’t as easy as some of the past stories because of dealing with such an evil man—her uncle then stepfather, forcing himself on her mother after Papa passed. But my young heroine’s courage, spunk, and daunting outspokenness had me grinning in no time.

Straight off the bat, the fifteen-year-old proposes to the first single man she runs into! It almost reminds me of my own romance, when on the second night of our life together (we’d had our first date the evening before) my husband Ron told me, “I know it doesn’t mean much now, but I love you.”

Later I learned he’d told his mother that same night that he’d met the girl he was going to marry. She didn’t share that until after we were an old married couple with two little boys.

We all have our own love stories, and I’d love to hear yours! This is the reason I so love writing romance! And historical romance is even better because I loved the way women were so honored back then. For the most part, they stayed home and reared their own children and worked hard as the helpmate of their husbands.

Plus, I love the research for the era of the novels and once written, a historical is never out of date! Contemporary romance will be outdated almost as soon as it’s written these days due to the technology. In my lifetime—the first twenty years of such is now considered as “history” by the publishing industry!—things have changed extraordinarily!

I don’t know if any generation has seen such advances as my own. My parents’ watched the first televisions, but that can’t begin to compare with computers in every home. I believe we truly are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation—a peculiar people who will show forth the praises of Him Who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord with me and be blessed!
This Texas author hopes readers will love Lilah as I always am, “Praying my story gives God glory!”

Friday, June 5, 2020

About the Book

When
new evidence surfaces about a tragic boating accident that put her
ex-boyfriend’s father in prison, private investigator Dory Winslow’s
determined to look into it. But now someone’s dead set on silencing her.
And working with Chad Jaggert—the father of her secret child—may be the
only way to survive the treacherous truth about the tragedy that once
tore them apart.

"Secrets Resurfaced" by Dana Mentink is the fourth book of the series and it really keeps the reader on alert. This book has new dangers on every page. Makes me glad I am not Dory or Chad.

I have read all four books but I still would have enjoyed this novel even if I hadn't read the others.

I was really shocked at the end! I had no idea who the bad person was.

This book is a second chance at love but it isn't really what I would call a romance novel.

This book does have a prayer prayed by a five year old, nothing else that I would think would brother a non-believer so I would recommend this book to all reader that likes suspense and a clean read.

I don't know if their is going to be another book in this series, but I would read it. I really like this usual family.

I was given a complementary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit.

About the Author

Dana
Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award
winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion
winner. She is a national bestselling author of over forty titles in the
suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for
Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and
Sourcebooks. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade.
Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs
affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier,
and a chubby box turtle. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com, on Facebook, YouTube (Author Dana Mentink) and Instagram (dana_mentink.)

More from Dana

Well, it’s been a wild ride through the Roughwater Cowboy series!
Here we are at the end, with youngest brother Chad’s story. Fortunately,
the rest of the clan (Mitch, Liam and Helen) are here to lend a hand
when the man Chad’s father was jailed for killing comes back to life.
Helping out also is Jingles the hapless dog, and a new member of the
canine family, three legged Meatball. Throw in a killer on the loose and
a secret child, and we’ll have a ‘hold onto your hat’ finish to this
series. Thanks for coming along with me! God bless you!

Thursday, June 4, 2020

About the Book

Book: Valley of ShadowsAuthor: Candace WestGenre: Christian Historical FictionRelease Date: March 17, 2020Forgiving is far from forgetting.
Lorena Steen gave up on love years ago. After arriving at Valley Creek to visit her daughters, she stumbles first thing into Earl, the husband who abandoned her.
As for Earl, facing Lorena while fighting his own demons tempts him to flee town. How can he rebuild a relationship with his daughters and cynical neighbors when guilt shadows every step?
While the storm brews between them, another storm descends on Valley Creek. Will a ghost town stand in its wake?
But then the townsfolk devise a plan. All they need is a former concert pianist and violinist. A wife and husband estranged.
Can Lorena and Earl set aside their feelings to rescue a community? Even though it sweeps them back through valleys best forgotten? Especially when a forbidden love claims his right to win Lorena’s heart?

"Valley of Shadows" by Candace West is the second book in the "Valley Creek Redemption" series. And all I can say is "Wow" this series clearly shows what God can do if we allow Him to work in us.

This is a series of redemption and forgiveness.

I really think his series would be enjoyed better if read in order.

Yes, the series deals with physic abuse, both spousal and child, as well as alcohol but again I really recommend this book but with a warning to have tissues handy. This series has lessons that I learned to apply to my life as well as the characters. I know this book tour is for the "Valley of Shadows" but I really don't remember what significant lessons are from what book because I read both book right together.

But, I did learn this from one of the book "You can't live by what other people do or say. If you do, you'll spend the rest of your life being miserable. What you do and say is what matters. That's whats counts in the end."

I really love books that entertain us as well as help us learn truths that enrich our lives if we apply them. This is another series that proves "Fiction is real life".

This book did make me cry because of the alcohol abuse, because I have and had family members that were alcoholics, but the series has a great ending.

I received contemporary copy from the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are mine own.

About the Author

Candace West was born in the Mississippi delta to a young minister and his wife. She grew up in small-town Arkansas and is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello. When she was twelve years old, she wrote her first story, “Following Prairie River.” In 2018, she published her debut novel Lane Steen. By weaving hope-filled, page-turning stories, Candace shares the Gospel and encourages her readers. She currently lives in her beloved Arkansas with her husband and their son along with two dogs and three cats.

More from Candace

Why I Wrote Valley of Shadows
Can a villain become a hero? When I ended my debut novel Lane Steen, I knew someday I had to discover if a kidnapper and alcoholic was worth saving. Could that same person save a town after tragedy strikes while wrestling with his own demons?
Earl Steen had a dark valley to cross.
With a destroyed reputation, Earl must prove in Valley of Shadowsthat God has not wasted His efforts on him. Also, Lorena, his estranged wife, has her own score to settle. How can she when the villain no longer exists?
Nothing tugs at my heart more than lost, unrequited love. My second book focuses on their lost relationship. Earl and Lorena had haunted one another long enough. Could God mend what Earl had shattered?
Sitting down to write, I returned to Valley Creek and uncovered places within Earl’s heart that I never knew existed. Lorena’s struggles became mine as she grappled with understanding and forgiving. The dark places of their past somehow had to merge with the light of a hopeful future.
Getting Earl and Lorena to rediscover their love was a journey fraught with tension, grief, frustration, and hope. Was it worth every rewrite, every long hour staring at my computer screen waiting for my characters’ next move?
You bet!

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

About the Book

Book: Driftwood DreamsAuthor: T.I. LoweGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: June 1, 2020
Josie Slater has allowed the circumstances anchoring her in Sunset Cove to become a life sentence. Since her mother’s death years before, she’s spent most of her waking hours helping her dad run the Driftwood Diner. As her best friends, Opal and Sophia, make their dreams come true, Josie watches her own art school aspirations drift on by. But when a French-speaking Southern gentleman from her past moves back from Europe, Josie is launched into a tizzy of what-ifs and I-sure-do-hope-sos.
August Bradford left Sunset Cove six years ago to sow some life oats and conquer his ambitious career goals. Finally ready to lay down some roots, the successful artist is back in town and determined to win Josie’s heart. When he enlists Josie’s help in the preparations for a children’s art camp, Josie finds herself unleashing her artistic side in a way she hasn’t since before her mother’s death. August hopes to convince Josie to paint a life with him, but the problem is convincing her to let go of her apprehensions and give him—and her dreams—a fair chance.

"Driftwood Dreams" by T.I. Lowe is a story of quirky and not so normal but fun characters. It is a fun novel to read. I really like T.I. Lowe books.

This is another story that is inspiring and helps readers to believe once again that God is in control and never fails.

This is the second book in the series and they both mention weird food.

Sometimes you just have to trust and let love lead where you are supposed to go.

I received a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Tonya “T.I.” Lowe is a native of coastal South Carolina. She attended Coastal Carolina University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where she majored in Psychology but excelled in Creative Writing. In 2014, Tonya independently published her first novel, Lulu’s Café, which quickly became a bestseller. Now the author of 12 published novels with hundreds of thousands of copies sold, she knows she’s just getting started and has many more stories to tell. She resides near Myrtle Beach with her family.

Read an Excerpt

Josie’s reverie came to a screeching halt as the screen door squeaked open and ushered in not only a briny breeze, but also a vision from her past.

With a pronounced air of confidence, August Bradford walked over to the counter and halted in front of a dazed Josie. Her heart jolted at the sight of him, something only this man could elicit. He spoke—or at least his lips moved—but she couldn’t hear anything over the roar suddenly residing in her eardrums.

The Knitting Club’s table kicked up in volume, sounding like a bunch of hens clucking away, but there was no focusing on what they were clucking about either. She knew the answer anyway and had a feeling their timing wasn’t coincidental. All Josie could do was just stand there and stare, as if looking into his silvery-blue eyes had turned her to stone. With a hint of purple near the center, those uniquely hued eyes were made to belong to an artist such as August Bradford. The thick fringe of black eyelashes only emphasized their beauty. It was enough to spawn jealousy in Josie, her own fair lashes barely visible, but it didn’t. It only tempted her to stand there and stare unabashedly. Mouth agape, that’s exactly what she did.

“Are you okay?” A throaty voice penetrated the roar in her ears as a hand waved in front of her face.

Oh, my . . . that voice . . .

The words simply wouldn’t come—only pitiful squeaks of breaths escaped—so Josie did the only thing to come to mind. She hightailed it into the kitchen.

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

About the Book

Book: Tyrone the TerribleAuthor: Jan LisGenre: Children’s Chapter BookRelease Date: March, 2020Tyrone is the skinniest chameleon in the swamp. No one wants him on their team. After going on a fitness program, Tyrone gets carried away with his new self and terrorizes his friends in Gnarly Tree Bend until he meets Sly, the meanest gator in the bayou. Looks like Tyrone is gumbo.
The moral of this story? Someone is always bigger and badder than you, so you’d best make friends along the way.
TYRONE THE TERRIBLE is a bullying tale. The feisty chameleon picks on his bayou buddies before meeting his match. In the process, he learns the value of friends and family and how actions have consequences.
This delightful story is filled with swampy animal characters with a distinctly southern voice – not quite Brer Rabbit, but a good deep-south feel.

Wow, this book had me in tears at the second page, and this is a children's book. This is why
I was crying " Mama turned." ......" I declare, Tyrone, you're going to have to eat a pile of 'em before you amount to anything." I was like wow, what chance does Tyrone have if his own mother tells him, he isn't nothing.

But, I finished the story and found out that the book is about bulling, I did like the book and the story but I still have my first impression of mama, I mean words stick with us long after they are said. Maybe, I am just too sensitive because it was plain at the end Mama loved him because again words stick with us.

This has a modern twist on the story of Jonah.

Tyrone does learn to be a friend you have to be a friend first and that someone is always bigger and badder than you.

I was given a complimentary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Jan Lis is south Florida writer and artist. Living in this multicultural area, Jan utilizes these diverse cultural influences in her stories. Jan fills her children’s books with spunky characters and rich imagery, bringing to her stories and illustrations the same vivid quality found in her fine art paintings.
Jan attended the Cleveland Institute of Art, has a degree from Ohio University’s School of Fine Art, and took post-graduate writing at Case-Western Reserve. She established her writing as a journalist contributing articles to publications such as the Miami Herald, and the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, and worked as Fine Arts Editor and Columnist for the Florida Arts Gazette.
Jan Lis is an established artist who has exhibited and won awards in many of the country’s top Annual Exhibitions including: The Butler Institute of American Art, the San Diego Watercolor Society, and the Piedmont Biennial at the Mint Museum. She is represented in corporate and private collections including: the State of Florida Art In Public Buildings Program, the Brevard County Florida Art in Public Places Program, and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem, NC.
Jan is represented by agent Cyle Young, Hartline Literary Agency, and is member of the
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

More from Jan

How I first met Tyrone was an interesting adventure in itself. One day, a curious little chameleon climbed up on a stone, and watched me as I went for my afternoon swim. Day after day his little head popped up every time I entered the pool. Then he scrambled up onto his rock to watch me swim. Over the course of the summer I saw this skinny fellow gradually mature into quite an impressive chameleon. Sometime during the summer he gained the name Tyrone, and the story was born. Much of the action in Tyrone The Terrible takes place around Gnarly Tree, located along the bayou. While the setting of the story is fiction, the tree is not. My Gnarly tree is a venerable old Banyan, located along the pathway near my home. These days I give it a nod whenever I pass by. I loved writing the Tyrone characters, and the southern feel of the dialogue. It’s a story you just have to read out loud, and have fun with.

Monday, June 1, 2020

About the Book

Book: Hope for TomorrowAuthor: Michelle De BruinGenre: Christian Historical RomanceRelease Date: October 2018
A young man leaves his career and agrees to board the teacher who offers him a priceless gift.
When Logan De Witt learns of his father’s sudden death, he returns home to the family’s dairy farm and chooses to stay. As a way to make some extra money, he agrees to board the teacher for their local school.
Karen Millerson arrives from Chicago and accepts the role of country school teacher. Eager to put her family’s ugly past behind her, Karen makes a fresh start in her new surroundings as a way to replace the trust she lost in her father.
Can Karen learn to trust again? Will Logan lay aside his grief in exchange for God’s purpose for his life?

"Hope for Tomorrow"by Michelle De Bruin is a great book. It if filled with sorrow and some laugh out scenes. I really love how the character learn to learn on God.

I was given a complementary copy by the author and Celebrate Lit. These opinions are my own.

About the Author

Michelle De Bruin lives in Iowa with her husband and two teenage sons. She has a bachelor’s degree in Religion with a Christian Ministry emphasis, and in Music. Michelle is the spiritual services provider for an organization that offers services for people with mental and physical disabilities. She has been a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) since 2015. Michelle writes inspirational historical romance about people who live in rural communities. Characters that bring to life the delights of farm and small-town living, whispers of Dutch heritage, and Christian faith make Michelle’s stories distinct. A romantic at heart, Michelle is always on the lookout for glimpses of God’s love through the window of a good story. Her first book, Hope for Tomorrow, released in 2018. The sequel, Promise for Tomorrow, released November 2019

More from Michelle

Hope for Tomorrowis a story that explores responses to uncertainty and the grief that comes from sudden losses. The main characters of the story have experienced unexpected changes that press them to grow deeper in their faith. Psalm 30:5 reminds us that weeping may linger through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Logan De Witt, his mother, his sister, and Karen Millerson the new teacher, learn this truth for themselves as the events of the story’s plot unfold.

My hope is that readers will learn the best way to respond to loss and change while also finding pleasure in the ways the Lord introduces joy and unexpected blessings into our lives.

An excerpt

“How far must we travel to reach Bridgewater Springs?” Glad to finally be able to see above the cornfields, Karen scanned the horizon. No buildings indicated the location of another town. Only the silhouettes of silos, hip roof barns, and a few windmills broke up the landscape.

“We ain’t goin’ to Bridgewater Springs.”

“What do you mean?” Karen’s middle stretched tight.

“Didn’t anyone tell ya?” The school board chairman turned to her. Crows’ feet etched deep lines in the sun-browned skin around his eyes.

“I received a letter that said I am to teach English and reading at the Bridgewater Springs High school.”

Mr. Hinkley shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Oh, the sad communication in our school systems these days.” Slapping a horse with the reins, he cleared his throat. “The school in Bridgewater Springs combined subjects. The community got worried about how many students might actually decide to go on to high school. They wanna hold off before hiring too many teachers. Don’t wanna get too carried away with offering a lot of subjects if no one comes to school to take ‘em. You know how that goes.” He transferred both reins to one hand, reached in his front pocket, pulled out a toothpick, and stuck it in a corner of his mouth.

The toothpick wagged a bit before he continued speaking. “At the last minute, the superintendent told me that the girl who taught our school last year got engaged over the summer. So, since you were a teacher without a school, and we were a school without a teacher, he made the decision to send ya here.” He chewed on the toothpick for a moment before looking over at her once again. “Sorry ya have to find out this way. I thought maybe someone already told ya.”

“You mean to tell me, to tell me that I . . .” She gave up in a sigh that collapsed all the air from her lungs.

“Now I know we ain’t the most educated folks you’ll run across, but our kids deserve a chance. Just like any in the big city.”

“But I . . . I still need to . . . to . . .” Karen groaned about the sputtering that betrayed her chaotic mind. She drew in a deep breath and tried again. “I traveled all this way to begin my career.”

“Well, now, I think we can work somethin’ out.” Mr. Hinkley drove on a road that crested a small hill and dipped to a stone bridge spanning a brook.